The start of a fantastic but short run, Scott's work on Transformers focuses on the politics of the aftermath of war, how do we get past the past, and the interplay between cynical Starscream and idealistic Windblade. There's some great stuff here, fantastic characterisation, and some of the best writing of the whole IDW Transformers thing. Pitre-Durocher's art is great too, and my only complaint for this whole book is that I hate that Chromia and some other fembots are drawn as if they are wearing bikinis. Its tacky nonsense and makes me grind my teeth everytime. ( )

When you think of Scott's work, it's easy to focus on Windblade. But what's amazing is her ability to write Starscream with deviousness and pathos at the same time. ( )

Access a version of the below that includes illustrations on my blog.

Technically, Till All Are One is the continuation of Windblade, but it's as much a continuation of Robots in Disguise back in the days when it was still called Robots in Disguise: how will a postwar Cybertron stay united? (Hence the title.) Especially given that it's not just Autobots and Decepticons and NAILs coming together, but waves of immigration from the newly found Cybertronian colonies.

So Windblade is a focal character, but so are Ironhide, Starscream, Rattrap, Chromia, and for this volume, the Combaticons, who I kept confusing with the Constructicons. Plus the two Tankors, of course. Starscream has a dirty secret the Combaticons are desperate to expose... but so does Windblade, and Starscream knows it. I have to say, the weak link of the series is Starscream himself: how does he hold onto power, since he seems pretty much universally reviled on Cybetron? I mean, I like the smarmy way Scott writes his interactions with Windblade and company, but he has to be nice to someone, right?

As a comic, it's miles better than the book formerly known as Robots in Disguise, but not as good as More than Meets the Eye. I feel like this book assumes I love this cast of characters more than I do. I like Windblade, but what does she want these days? To help her people, but although she was introduced as a Cityspeaker, this is almost forgotten now in favor of her political role on the Council of Worlds. On the other hand, I'm warming up to Ironhide, and once I figured out who the Combaticons were, I started to warm up to them, guys trying to figure out how they fit into a new, complicated world.

A decent book that hasn't quite come to life for me yet... but then it's only been four issues so far...

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